Mine
by stardust2002
Summary: Lee could pinpoint exactly when it began. One week after he started dating Dee .... Warnings here sexual content and mature themes. Not for the faint of heart. Spoilers through 'The Captain's Hand.'
1. Chapter 1

**MINE**

**A/N: **I began writing this just before I watched 'The Captain's Hand' and the events of that episode didn't work for this story. I will be using various elements of the episode (Lee's promotions) but his time on Pegasus keeping Kara in line never happens in this story. This story may be disturbing to some as it contains mature themes and sexual content. It was originally a one-part story but it became so long that I decided to split it into two. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and please excuse any errors - I'm not perfect and sometimes I get names and other details wrong. :)

Lee could pinpoint exactly when it began - one week after he started dating Dee ...

**oooooooooooooooooo**

_Kara was in the empty bunkroom getting undressed for bed. It was late - quite a bit later than she'd normally turn in when she was on duty first thing in the morning, but she couldn't sleep. At least, that was the lie she was telling herself. In reality, she was waiting to see when and if a certain bunkmate was coming back for the night._

_The hatch swung open and Lee walked in, uniform jacket draped over his arm. His eyebrows raised when he spied Kara, still awake. He strode in and opened his locker to hang up his jacket. Then he began undoing his trousers._

_"You're up late," he commented._

_"So are you."_

_"I'm not on early shift though."_

_"How was your date? You're back awfully late - must have been a good long frak," she said spitefully, turning to face his back._

_He whirled around, an angry look on his face. "I realize it's something _you _have no understanding of, but Dee is a _lady._ One does not frak a lady like she's a piece of trash," he shot back._

_Kara steamed. "Don't you dare," she hissed between clenched teeth._

_Lee advanced on her till he was only a few inches away. "Dare what? Dare to call you a slut? It's what you are."_

_She swung at him hard but he knew it was coming and blocked it. He grabbed both of her arms and pinned them against the locker over her head. She struggled but to no avail - Lee's muscular arms were as useful as they were gorgeous to look at. He felt her tense and pinned her lower half as well, knowing she was about to give him a vicious knee in the groin. _

_"What the hell is your problem Kara?"_

_"I'm not the one with the problem _sir,_" she hissed._

_"Then why are you so jealous?"_

_"Jealous? Ha! What would I have to be jealous of? _You're _the one with the girlfriend you obviously can't frak, yet you're all over me now. I'd say _you're _the one with issues." She laughed mockingly._

_"Pinning your arms hardly qualifies as 'all over you'," he said nastily, adjusting his grip so he was holding her two arms with his one. The other arm came down from above her head and traced a line down the front of her body - down her neck, over her breast, her stomach, and coming to rest on her hip. "_That's _more like it."_

_Kara's nostrils flared but she said nothing. There was nothing evil enough to describe Lee Adama and what he was doing to her, even in her extensive vocabulary of insults. Not to mention, she was highly aroused. Here they were, both in nothing but underwear, bodies pressed hard against one another. Somewhat reminiscent of a recent time they'd been this way. Only _this _time, Lee was taking charge. And that turned her on much more than she'd like to admit. There weren't many men willing to challenge her for control, so when one did, she found it a titillating experience._

_"So, what are you gonna do now, Captain? Take me and frak me against the wall? Somehow I don't think your girlfriend would like that,' she added sarcastically, green eyes glowing with expectation._

_"Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you? You're still pining for the last time aren't you? When I wouldn't give you the easy lay you wanted." As he spoke, his hand moved across her panties till he cupped her, thumb pressing gently on her centre. "Well, here's something you may have forgotten in your drunkenness - _I'm not that kind of guy." _His fingers began playing her harder, right through her underwear, and she bit her lip as her mind and body warred against each other. _

_They glared at one another for a moment as he continued to work her, feeling the heat beneath his fingers increasing. As Lee slipped his fingers underneath the underwear and slid into her warm wetness, her mind gave up the fight. He felt her resistance melt away and worked her harder, two fingers up inside while his thumb rolled and pressed her swollen centre. Her hips began to move in rhythm with his hands as her climax approached. But she held part of herself in check - she would not cry out, not say his name while she came. Not like that fateful time with Baltar, which was really, where _all _of this began._

_She finally reached the edge and snapped, coming hard against his hand. "Ohhh ..." slipped out as her body was set afire with ripples of pleasure._

_They stood together for a moment afterwards, neither one moving, as Kara's eyes stayed shut and Lee stared at her flushed face. Then he pulled out of her and let go of her arms._

_"I will _never _frak you - until you're mine and only mine. Understand?" he said in a low voice, blue eyes deep and dark with desire._

_"Bastard," she spat out, eyes narrowing._

_"Slut."_

**ooooooooooooooo**

And the two of them had separated to undress and get into their bunks. The incident hadn't been mentioned by either one of them again, until ...

One week later ...

**oooooooooooooo**

_"Nice work everyone," Lee said to the squadron of pilots just returning from a firefight. "No casualties - just the way I like it. Let's hit the showers."_

_The pilots all headed out of the hangar bay, peeling back their flightsuits and tying them around their waists._

_"One moment Captain Thrace. I need to see you in the ready room."_

_Kara rolled her eyes but moved off and headed for the ready room. What was Lee going to do to her now? Probably going to chew her out for _some _violation of the rules - it didn't seem she could _ever _do anything right for him. Especially lately._

_"So what is it this time?" she said resignedly as she pushed open the hatch and wandered in. Lee followed her in, shut the hatch and locked it, and grabbed her from behind, one muscular arm wrapped around her waist while the other plunged down the bottom half of her flightsuit, finding her centre immediately._

_"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed angrily, struggling against him. _

_"I know how wound up you get when you fly, and how much you need release." He pressed his mouth against her ear and whispered. "I'm giving it to you."_

_She shivered as her sweaty body broke out in goosebumps. "I'm sure I can find someone else to frak me _properly_, like I always do," she said defiantly, knowing what would hurt him most._

_"Like I said, I'll be more than happy to give you the frak of your life. All you have to do is tell me you're mine and you don't want anyone else."_

_"Never," she spat._

_"Well then, you're stuck with getting your release like this then," he said, beginning to work his fingers on her._

_"You really do have issues Captain. I think your callsign has gone to your head."_

_"I'm not a god?" he whispered, biting her ear._

_She laughed harshly. "Far from it. What do you suppose your girlfriend is going to think when she finds out you can't keep your hands off me?"_

_"She's not going to find out," he said firmly, pressing harder on her, causing her to shudder. Lee really did know her too well. She _did _ get a huge adrenaline rush from flying, especially in battle, and always needed a release afterwards. But it was only occasional that she found someone else to work it out with. What Lee didn't know was that she usually resorted to taking care of herself in the shower - all the while thinking of him._

_"You seem to be needing release as much as I do," she taunted, feeling his erection pressing hard against her buttocks. "Why don't you go find Dee and frak her instead of playing games with me?" She was beginning to feel breathless and her legs were definitely getting weaker. She cursed herself for being too easy. She should use some of the tactics she'd learned in self-defence and lay him out flat, but the truth was she loved having Lee's hands on her, and his warm breath on the back of her neck. She'd wanted him for so long, there was no way she could deny it now, even though this definitely wasn't how she wanted it to be._

_"I will, when I'm finished with you. Only we don't call it frakking." He leaned in close and licked her ear as he spoke. "I't's called making love when you're with someone you actually _care _about. Not," he added, "that you'd know how _that _feels."_

_"You bastard!" she cried, trying to wriggle out of his grasp." I hate you!"_

_Lee just held on tighter. "You may hate me, but you love how I make you feel." He increased the speed and intensity of his fingers on her, and that, coupled with her fierce struggling, served to bring her to the edge almost immediately. He dropped his head down and kissed the back of her neck, nuzzling his unshaven face against the one spot she couldn't resist._

_"I ... frakking ... hate ... you ... Lee Adama," she breathed out, and she began to pant._

_"Mmm, hate, love ... sometimes it's hard to tell the difference," he murmured, pulling her closer to rub himself against her tight buttocks._

_She groaned and pushed backwards against him, urging him to continue. Her climax was so close - she stiffened as it came. Lee bit her neck - hard, and the pain and pleasure coupled together overwhelmed her. She melted back into his arms, writhing in ecstasy. Lee lost whatever shred of control he'd managed to hold onto thus far. She'd been right - he'd needed the release as much as she did, and touching her, bringing her pleasure, had aroused him much more than he'd expected it to. He thrust upwards against her suddenly and came hard - causing a large wet spot to form on his underwear. Fortunately it wouldn't be seen through his flightsuit._

_After several minutes, her body's shuddering stopped and she began to breathe normally again. Lee released her and she turned to face him, an angry, hurt look in her eyes._

_"Feel better?" he asked sarcastically._

_"I hate you," she hissed. "How dare you ..."_

_"You could have stopped me. I know you could - I taught you how remember?"_

_She stared silently at him, snorting repeatedly in an attempt to curb her anger. Hitting _this _superior asshole was more than likely going to earn her time in hack - something she wanted to avoid._

_"I hope Dee isn't in the mood," she taunted sarcastically. "Considering you probably don't have anything left to give her."_

_Lee walked up close till she could feel his breath on her face as he spoke. "You're forgetting I'm Apollo," he said quietly. "I can do anything."_

**oooooooooooooooooooo**

And he could. That night had been the first time he'd taken Dee and it had been ... okay. Not nearly as sensual as what had happened with Kara. _But then again, Kara radiates sexual energy. She may not be a 'girly girl' but she's so intensely female it's ... irresistible!_

Lee was in a quandary. He and Kara apparently detested each other - at least that's how they acted, but the tension between them was growing steadily.

Yet, things were going so well with Dee. She was a 'nice' girl in the true sense of the word. She was kind, caring, sweet, loving ... everything he wanted in a woman. Or _thought _he wanted. But the spark was missing. Kara was difficult, demanding, loud, selfish ... but it was only with her that he felt the spark - the thing that made him _want _to live, despite the dreariness of their lives. He tried to convince himself it was because of Dee - that since the shooting and their getting together he'd been happier, but though Dee may have been fooled by his sugar-sweet behaviour with her, _he _wasn't.

His thoughts were for Kara alone. He sought her eyes during every briefing, scheduled himself on shifts with her more often than off, and he found himself beginning to think of her while making love to Dee - trying to make it more passionate. But still, he had to keep himself tightly reigned in, lest he call out _her _name instead of Dee's in bed.

But his trysts with Kara were never in bed ...

**oooooooooooooooooo**

_Lee stripped off the last of his clothes and grabbed his towel. This shower was long awaited - he'd had a meeting with his father directly after CAP, and the sweat had dried on his body, leaving him feeling dirty. Only one other shower was occupied - a blonde head caught his attention, Kara. No one had hair like hers - soft and silken. He longed to run his fingers through it, but Kara wasn't his; probably never would be. The thought filled him with sadness, but also a fierce desire to take her and _make _her his. _

_He pushed open the curtain and stepped in, grabbing her from behind. Kara didn't flinch. She knew exactly who it was - no one else would be stupid enough to do the things Lee did. That, and the hair at the back of her neck and been prickling for several minutes - her radar that Lee was close._

_"Major," she said, using his newly gained rank._

_"Captain."_

_"What do you want?" she asked flatly._

_"You _know _what I want."_

_"And you will never get it," she said angrily._

_"Why is it so hard?" he whispered in her ear._

_She spun out of his grasp and stood, naked and wet, hands on her hips. "You rejected me, remember? And not two weeks later you're seeing another woman," she seethed. "And let's not even get into _what _the two of you were doing while she was still with Billy."_

_"You have no right to make accusations like that," he blazed. "_You _who can't keep her pants up!"_

_"Seems _you're _the one who's always taking them down," she said spitefully, eyes blazing._

_"Well you've saved me _that _step this time," he said, eyes narrowing. He strode forward and pinned her to the shower wall, drenching them both in the spray._

_"You are such a bastard Apollo," she hissed, but her body was betraying her already. A naked, wet Lee was something she'd fantasized about too many times to count. The wetness between her legs had nothing to do with the shower. If Lee's response was any indication, this had been a fantasy of his too._

_His hands held her at the waist while his mouth worked busily at her neck - licking and sucking his way from her ear down to the hollow of her throat. He grabbed a small piece of skin and bit, causing her to flinch against him._

_"Ow!" she hissed, bucking against him and feeling him grow against her._

_"Hurt?" He licked a path down her chest to her right breast and took it in his mouth, sucking hard. Her body arched against his as the pleasure centre of her brain took over. Lee slid his hands to her buttocks and pulled her towards him, bringing his erection in contact with her centre._

_Kara felt as though she'd been burned. His touch had never felt so good. Of course, he'd never been naked before with her, and now for the first time they were experiencing all of each other's bodies._

_Lee was dying to enter her - her warmth beckoned, but he would not give in. He'd promised himself he wouldn't give her everything till she was ready to be his. But oh how hard that promise was going to be to keep, now that they were here, ready and she seemed willing._

_Lee turned his attention to her other breast, and Kara began to moan as her body drew closer and closer to the edge. Her lower body began to rub against his, and as she came unbearably close, she had to stop herself from moving forward slightly and taking him inside her. She throbbed - ached to have him inside her, pulsing hotly as he claimed her. _But he belongs to Dee now - you had your chance but you frakked it up by being too scared to tell him how you really feel.

_Lee dropped to his knees and focused his tongue where it counted, licking her swollen core harder and harder as she shuddered against him. Her nails raked across his shoulders, leaving deep grooves that would probably scar._

_"Lee ..." she moaned, body bucking against his face. This was too much like her fantasies - orgasm in the shower - calling out Lee's name, though she'd always had to whisper before in case someone else was around._

_As her blood slowed it's raging pace through her body, Lee rose to his feet. He leaned forward and kissed her full on the lips, though he'd vowed not to get that intimate with her. This was supposed to be aloof, and cold until she confessed how she really felt about him. But he couldn't resist ..._

_Their mouths opened and their tongues began to duel, each looking for mastery over the other and not getting it. As the kiss deepened and they let down their barriers, it became apparent to Lee that he couldn't just back off and leave her now that she was done. He needed this as much as she did. He reached for her hand, clasped it and guided it down to his swollen shaft._

_"Do it for me Kara - make me come," he whispered throatily as he pulled away from her mouth. Their foreheads rested against one another's and they searched each other's souls, eyes wide._

_"Is it really _me _you want doing this?" she asked, gripping him but not moving her hand._

_"Gods yes Kara - please ..." he begged, nearly losing control as she touched him. He leapt in her hand, proving the truth of his words._

_She began rubbing him slowly, almost too slowly. "I should deny you, you two-timing bastard," she whispered._

_He threw back his head, eyes closed in pleasure, but didn't answer. His breath was becoming ragged and he threw one arm out to the shower wall to steady himself. The other hand crept back across her thighs and he began to rub her hard, sliding two fingers inside her._

_"Mmm ..." Kara moaned, feeling herself almost ready again. _Gods, what he does to me! _she thought, breath coming in short gasps._

_"Oh ... Kara," he moaned, so close. "Please, harder, oh ... harder," he pleaded, desperate for his release._

_Kara stole a glance down to find a few drops of liquid on the head of his shaft. She rubbed it around with her thumb and he began to throb faster and faster in her grasp. Apollo indeed - he was certainly more than a handful!_

_"Come on you bastard - come for me - you know you want to," she said huskily, words egging him on._

_"Gods Kara! Oh ..." he cried out, body bucking suddenly as he spurted his seed on her in several hard thrusts. His fingers within her clenched hard as he came, and it was enough to bring her along with him._

_"Frak ... oh, frak me ..." she exploded, body shaking against his hand as pleasure spread through every nerve ending._

_They stood, gasping for air, until the water began to turn cold, then they quickly moved apart._

_"I need to get clean," Lee said coldly, walking out of the stall and turning on the shower in the next one._

_"You are the biggest frakking asshole I've ever, EVER known!" she spat angrily, fixing him with a narrow-eyed glare over the shower divider._

_"You are _so _easy Kara - calling you a slut gives you too much credit," he shot back, drenching himself in the cold water._

_"I hate you!" she yelled, pulling her towel off the hook and wrapping it around herself. She stalked out of the head, firmly convinced that she would never let Lee Adama touch her again._

**oooooooooooooooo**

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Mine - part two**

**oooooooooooooo**

_Frak, frak, frak! _Lee thought, for the thousandth time since learning he'd been promoted to Commander of Pegasus. He should have been ecstatic - a command of his own and he was barely past thirty - that was unheard of. Of course, these were different times now and the prestige really didn't matter anymore. But to be honest, he was terrified of the thought of command. He'd watched his father often enough to know the responsibility was awesome. But really, who else was there? No one on Pegasus was qualified for the job (had they all been executed by Cain?), and the only other _real _candidate was Tigh. And _no one _ wanted him in command again. He'd nearly annihilated the human race single-handedly last time - who'd trust him again?

So Lee had had no choice but to accept it., knowing it would take him away from everyone he loved. He'd had a tearful goodbye with Dee - tearful on her part anyway. Lee wasn't really the emotional type, and though he was going to miss her, _she _wasn't the one his heart was aching over. She had been good to him though, and he felt bad knowing what he'd done to her in return.

He stood in the hangar bay, ready to step aboard his raptor, looking back longingly at Galactica's battered decks and already wishing he was coming back home. _ How did this place become home? _His eyes met his fathers - comfort, assurance, and even love were there. They shared a small smile and Lee knew his father could see all his fears. Adama nodded slightly.

Lee's eyes wandered the room and stopped when he saw her, leaning against the wall nonchalantly, looking like she didn't care that he was leaving. But he could see that was just a facade - her eyes were desperate, the sadness shining out of them like a beacon. _Gods, I didn't even get to say goodbye to her, _he thought, and his hand twitched as he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He looked at her with such a look of intense sadness in his eyes that Adama had to glance around to see what - or who he was looking at. Kara. No surprise.

As Lee fought to tear his eyes away from her, she mouthed three words silently to him - 'I hate you'.

It was three weeks before he'd see her again.

**ooooooooooooooooo**

_"Pegasus, this is Galactica Raptor two-eight-six requesting permission to land."_

_Lee's ears pricked up. He'd know that voice anywhere._

_"Raptor two-eight-six, this is Pegasus. Who am I speaking with?" Hoshi the communications officer asked. Lee's mouth dropped open. He really didn't know what he was getting himself into there did he? No one talked to Starbuck like that!_

_"What the hell does it matter?" came the obviously irritated response._

_"I'm sorry, I can't grant you landing privileges till I know who's piloting your ship."_

_"This is Captain Thrace, callsign Starbuck," she answered in an overly sarcastic voice. "I'm on my way in."_

_Lee smirked. That was _his _Starbuck - always bucking the rules and getting away with it. Hoshi looked at Lee helplessly._

_"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. It's okay," he smiled reassuringly. "Smithson," he said, glancing over at the next most senior officer. "You have the comm."_

_"Yes sir," he replied as Lee exited CIC. There was no way Kara was going to be on _his _ship and he not get to see her._

_He just beat her to the flight deck and was standing nonchalantly against a nearby post as the hatch hissed open. "So, to what do we owe this unexpected visit?" he asked, hoping he sounded less nervous than he felt._

_"I was in the neighbourhood..." she said, smirking slightly. She stepped down easily, looking for all the world like she wasn't terrified of being in Lee's orbit again. When Adama had asked for a few things to be taken to Pegasus, she'd volunteered immediately. It was unorthodox for the CAG to leave the ship on a 'gopher' run but he knew how close the friendship was between the two and knew also how much they must be missing each other. So he'd allowed it._

_"Actually, the Admiral sent some stuff for you," she admitted, reaching into the back of the raptor and pulling out two boxes and a file folder._

_"Thanks," he said shortly, taking them from her, fireworks exploding through both of them as their fingers touched. "Does it require a response?"_

_"Dunno," she shrugged. "I'm just the messenger."_

_"Good thing we didn't shoot you then huh?" he quipped. She didn't laugh. "Get it? Shooting the ..."_

_"Bad joke," she interrupted. A meaningful look passed between them._

_"Sorry," he apologized softly, as the mech team began their routine inspection of the ship. "Come on, let's go to my office and I'll take a look at everything."_

_They walked side by side, Lee leading slightly, being the senior officer. Others they passed nodded cordially at him; some murmured 'Commander,' as they passed and Kara was glad to see a high measure of respect on their faces. _Good, _she thought. _He deserves it.

_As he swung open the hatch, she hung behind, almost afraid to enter. Lee looked back at her, standing just in the doorway, a confused look on his face. "You coming in?" he asked._

_"I uh ..."_

_It stung. She didn't want to be with him. _Then again, why should she, _he asked himself. _Every time we're together, I push her and we end up hurting each other.

_"I won't touch you, I promise," he said quietly, sadness evident in his eyes._

_She walked in and shut the hatch behind her. "What if I want you to?" she asked in a small voice._

_Lee's eyes widened. He didn't know what to say. "Kara, I ..." he began, but she closed the space between them and put a finger across his lips._

_"Don't say it. I know." His eyes pleaded with her. "You know it can't be, now do you _job _Commander, and I'll head home."_

_They stared at one another for a long moment, then Lee turned his concentration to his work, sorting through pages and signing necessary forms._

_"Here you go," he said finally, handing her the file folder back without looking at her._

_"Thank you," she said softly. Then she reached forward impulsively and kissed him. Lee stood shocked for a moment, then gave in. The kiss wasn't hard or demanding like the other times they'd kissed, but more one of longing, of loneliness and desperation. She broke it off finally and pulled away from him. As she reached the doorway, she turned back for a moment. "Dee misses you - she asked you to come visit soon." Then she was gone. No goodbye, nothing._

Oh Kara, _he thought, heart constricting again. Could he really keep doing this? Every time he had to let her go, his heart shattered just a little more. _

_After a few stunned moments, he raced after her, but she was already in pre-flight by the time he reached the flight deck._

Damn you Kara - I hate you, _he thought as she flew out of his life again._

**ooooooooooooooooooo**

Two weeks had gone by, and he couldn't wait to get to Galactica. Two weeks since he'd seen her! Not to mention it had been more than a month since he'd seen his father ... and Dee. Dee! She was going to want to spend some serious time with him, and while that wasn't an unpleasant thought, he was desperate to be with Kara.

The taste of her mouth had been on his since they'd kissed, and he couldn't seem to shake it, no matter what he did. Every night he climbed into his bunk, looking across the room involuntarily, expecting to see her, and feeling a pain when he remembered how far away she was. He was dying to touch her again - he'd spent more than a few nights and showers relieving his own tension while thinking of her - but he'd be happy with even a hug at this point. Kara's hugs were amazing - it was like being enveloped in warmth and love.

As the raptor docked, Lee took several calming breaths. The hatch opened and he stepped out, smiling as he saw the familiar faces, his father's first among them. He smiled back and stepped into his embrace, sighing happily. He was home. Even if only for a short while.

**ooooooooooooooooooo**

_"So, I expect you'll want to see Dee. She's on duty for another hour or so, I believe. Shall I relieve her?" Adama offered, their business now completed._

_Lee shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'll be here for a while yet." He smiled. "It's good to be home. I can spare another hour or two."_

_"Did you want to get some dinner then?"_

_"No... thanks dad. I've got ... other things to do till she's free."_

_Adama gave him a curious look but said nothing._

_"I'll see you when I leave then?" Lee asked uncertainly._

_"I'll be there," his father assured him._

_Lee left his office and headed down the familiar corridors, smiling at everyone he passed but not stopping to chat with anyone._

_He knocked on the CAG's office hatch and waited._

_"Come in," came Kara's exasperated sounding voice._

_He opened the hatch, entered and shut it behind him, locking it as well._

_Kara stood suddenly, looking uncomfortable._

_"Didn't know I was here?" he said, a small, lopsided grin on his face - a very 'Lee' smile._

_Kara's heart wrenched. "I heard," she said in an offhand way. "Just didn't think you'd have time to see me - being a Commander now and all."_

_Lee's eyes burned into her. "I _always _ have time for you."_

_"Don't you have to see _her_?" Kara asked, a note of jealousy creeping into her voice._

_"I will, but she's on duty now."_

_"Oh." The word held a world of meaning. "I see."_

_"Kara ..." Lee began, knowing he'd screwed up badly._

_"No, I get it. I'm second best," she said softly, the hurt tone in her voice matching the look in her cloudy green eyes._

_Lee walked around the desk till he was right in front of her. "You'll _never _be second best," he whispered._

_"Right," she bit out. "You're only here because you can't be with _her._"_

_"That's not true, and you know it," he said firmly. "I haven't seen her in a month, and I'm with you - what does that say?"_

_"It says that you're a bastard who needs a quick lay and can't wait for your 'girlfriend' to get off duty, so you come to Kara 'easy' Thrace instead. " Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest defensively._

_Lee's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "My gods ... you are such a ... I don't know why I even bother with you at all." He turned and strode to the door. "Stupid frakking bitch," he murmured, yanking at the lock._

_Suddenly he found himself flat on his back, winded, with Kara sitting on top of him. "Don't you dare walk away from me," she hissed, eyes mere slits._

_"Or what?" he shot back._

_"You ... don't ... want ... to ... know," she whispered._

_"Really - you gonna frak me right here on your office floor? I don't think my girlfriend would like that,' he said spitefully, echoing one of their earlier conversations. _

_She ripped the buttons of his jacket open and shoved it down his arms. Lee shivered as her fingernails scraped on his skin. "I don't care," she said fiercely, raking her fingernails down his chest and beginning to undo his pants._

_"I'm shocked," Lee said sarcastically, putting his arms up under his head as a pillow. "I thought you hated me." His eyes were like cold steel, frigid and unreadable._

_"I do, believe me, I do," she said in a low voice, and she ripped down his trousers and pulled them off, throwing herself back on top of him. She gave a nasty smirk as she felt his erection grow through his underwear._

_"_This," _she said, giving him a squeeze, "Is why you bother with me. Because you want me so much more than _her._" She squeezed hard and was rewarded by a grunt as he flinched in pain._

_"Slut," he hissed, moving under her, but his body was out of control. Her touch was driving him crazy, and the fact that _she'd _taken charge was turning him on immensely. _

_She raked her fingernails up and down his chest, teasing his nipples through the fabric of his tanks. His breath hissed through his teeth as his body was set afire with desire. Kara slipped her fingers under the waistband of his underwear and slowly slid it down, allowing him to jump up to full attention. _

_"So, you don't want me huh?" she murmured, taking him into her hands and stroking gently._

_He just groaned and threw his hands down on the ground to brace himself. At the rate she was going, he wasn't going to last long!_

_She stroked him up and down with her hands, legs straddled over his. His hips began to thrust upwards, against his will - he knew he should resist and not let her do this, but he couldn't stop himself._

_She lowered her head down and took him in her mouth, applying gentle pressure to the head of him._

_"Kara..." he groaned, feeling the edge coming closer and closer._

_She too could feel it, as he began to throb against her mouth, and she sucked hard once ... twice ... then pulled off him. "Tell me you want me," she whispered._

_"I want you," he rasped, panting, lifting his head off the floor and locking eyes with hers._

_She lowered her head and took him deeper into her mouth, licking and sucking with just the right pressure to drive him into a frenzy._

_"Kara ... gods please ... Kara ..." he begged, beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead as he struggled to control himself. He'd heard rumours about how good Starbuck was with her mouth, but he'd shrugged them off as wild stories. _Seems they were right, _he thought, as a pang of jealousy shot through him at the thought of her hands and mouth on other men's bodies. But then coherent thought began to fail him as his body tightened in anticipation._

_Kara lifted her mouth off him for a second. "You want me. When you're frakking her, it's me you're thinking of isn't it?" she whispered, teasing him with her fingernails._

_He gasped as his body trembled. _

_"Tell me the truth Lee .. it is _me _you want isn't it?"_

_"Yes, yes ... oh Kara ... I want you ... every time I'm with her I think of you ..."_

_Kara smiled with satisfaction at the naked desire in his eyes, and took him all the way into her mouth. She worked him slowly as he panted and whispered her name over and over again. Finally he was there - body shaking under her as his orgasm climbed to it's apex._

_"Kara...!" he yelled, hands gripping her shoulders as he sat up suddenly. "Yes ... oh gods yes Kara!" he gasped, and his eyes slipped shut. "I love you ..." he rasped as his hips thrust upwards and he pulsed hotly in her mouth. She kept going, sucking hard as he thrust repeatedly, drawing his orgasm out longer and longer._

_When it finally ended, Kara let him slip out of her mouth and looked up to meet his eyes, nothing but sorrow evident in hers. "You're a liar," she whispered._

_Lee looked at her in confusion, body still trembling._

_"You don't love me. If you did you wouldn't be with _her._"_

_Lee took one hand off her shoulder and stroked her cheek tenderly. "I _do _love you ..." he began._

_"Dump her."_

_"What?"_

_"Dump her. Break up with her. If you love _me, _you can't be with her."_

_"Kara, I can't just ..." _

_But she shrugged his hand off her face and stood up angrily. "Then go to her. You want _her,_ fine. Go." Kara said, eyes narrowed once again._

_"Kara, I want you ..."_

_"Get out!" she shouted. "Just leave! Get out of my life and don't come back!" She picked up his clothes and threw them at him._

_Lee grabbed them and put them on, his face a mask of anger. He stared at her the whole time he dressed, eyes locked with hers, daring her to drop _her _mask. He knew underneath the anger there was hurt ... maybe much more, but she was stoic. She was Starbuck, and Starbuck never showed weakness._

_Without a word he stalked past her and left her office, slamming the door behind him._

**ooooooooooooooooooo**

_Her arms crept around his waist suddenly. "I've missed you so," she said, kissing his shoulder._

_Lee put his arms over hers. "I've missed you too Dee."_

_He'd been walking furiously till some of his anger subsided, then he'd gone to her quarters to wait for her to go off duty. He knew he was going to have difficulty dealing with her after his encounter with Kara, but he owed it to her not to let his hurt and anger spill over onto her as well._

_"Is something wrong? You're acting like you've been running," she asked, sliding around to face him, arms still holding him tightly._

_He smiled. "No, I was just walking around the ship. I've missed the old girl."_

_"She misses you too. Things just aren't the same with Captain Apollo gone." She smiled sweetly and reached up to kiss him. "I hate to say it since she's your friend, but Starbuck is a real bitch. Especially now that she's CAG."_

_"Really," he murmured, heart beginning to pound at her name._

_"I'm sorry, I shouldn't insult a friend of yours ..."_

_"It's okay. She is a bitch. Doesn't come as any surprise to me," he said coldly._

_"Well," Dee snuggled into his neck, fingers exploring his torso. "It's because she doesn't have _you _to keep her in line any more."_

Truer than you know, _Lee thought ruefully. He'd allowed her to use him to rub off her rough edges on, till she'd been tolerable to the rest of the crew. Now she no longer had that - it was a wonder she hadn't exploded and taken off someone's head._

_Lee didn't answer her though, and allowed Dee to take charge. She obviously wanted to get him into bed before he left, and though it was really the last thing he wanted, he went along with her, Kara's words echoing through his mind all the while - 'if you love me, you can't be with her.'_

_It took Lee longer than usual to come to readiness, something that surprised Dee. "Something wrong?" she asked softly, fingers working all the pleasure spots on his body. "You don't want this?"_

_But the hurt look in her green eyes was too much like Kara's. It was like a knife in his heart. He closed his eyes - he couldn't stand to look at her._

_"I do," he lied, conjuring a picture of Kara in his mind as he threw himself into it, heart and soul. It was wild, passionate - unlike it had ever been before with her. He took control and forced the pace, doing everything _his _way for the first time. As he felt his orgasm approach, he pictured Kara, feeling her mouth on him, hot and wet, sucking him for all she was worth. He came hard and fast, not really caring if Dee did too, biting his lip to prevent himself from crying out _her _name._

_He collapsed, sated and tired, face buried in her shoulder. "Oh Kara," he whispered, almost imperceptibly, but she felt the movement of his lips._

_"Hmm?" she murmured, tracing the scars along his shoulders. _Wonder where he got those? _she thought. _Don't remember seeing them before ...

_"Nothing," he whispered. "It's nothing."_

**ooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Lee couldn't believe how happy he was to get back to Pegasus. His time on Galactica, only six hours, had been unbearably long. He'd been _so _looking forward to being home, but now all home represented was Kara - the friend he'd betrayed and hurt, Dee - the woman he'd betrayed and lied to, and his father - suspicious about something but not knowing exactly what.

The look Adama had given him as he'd prepared to step aboard the raptor had been one Lee had never seen before. He couldn't quite place all the emotions he read there, but sorrow and disapproval were among them. _So, how many _other _ways can you frak up Lee? _he'd asked himself on the trip back. _If you're not careful, you're going to lose everyone you care about._

**ooooooooooooooooooooo**

_He sat in his office, head in his hands. The word had just come through - the Admiral felt that Pegasus' air group wasn't up to Galactica's standards, so he was trading CAG's in order for them to receive training from Galactica's top instructor, Kara._

_Now what was he to do? She was going to be here - be staying here - and they were not only going to be bumping into one another occasionally off-duty, he was now her boss, again. Add that to the fact that she hated him, and you had a recipe for disaster. He didn't know what he was going to do. So he prayed._

_He hadn't prayed to the gods since Zack's death, having believed they were responsible for taking away his kid brother. He'd never really been devout anyway - the kind who'd only gone to services once or twice a year for the special occasions - but upon Zack's death he'd forsaken them altogether. But now he prayed for the gods to intervene somehow and not allow things between them to get any more frakked up than they already were._

**ooooooooooooooooooo**

"There's a WHAT on my ship?" Lee yelled as his father told him the news.

"The cylon-sympathizers have planted a nuclear device on Pegasus, set to detonate in thirty minutes," Adama said tensely.

"How do you ... never mind. We can't possibly evacuate this entire ship in thirty minutes." Lee's voice was desperate. This was the end and he knew it.

"Our raptors are on the way - load yours up and get every pilot in their viper, we'll be there in two minutes."

"But dad, we can't ..."

"Just do it," Adama said forcefully. "We're evacuating the Arctic Sunshine right now. She can hold over five hundred. Get everyone ready. We can do this."

"Yes sir." Lee began giving commands to his junior officers and prepared himself to make a ship-wide announcement telling all hands to evacuate._ How the hell could this happen to me?_ he thought. _I never wanted to be here in the first place and now I'm going to die here_. For he knew, as all good leaders did, that the Commander always goes down with the ship. _Kara - my gods Kara, I never got to make it up with you. I'm going to die and you're still going to hate me - even more once there's no chance of forgiveness. _If he'd had time to really think about it, the tears would have flown freely, but his work was more than cut out for him, and a good leader never lets personal feelings get in the way of duty. _Yeah, right, just like dad did when Kara was missing on that frakking moon? No, _he _didn't put Kara's welfare above the rest of the fleet's needs,_ he thought sarcastically. And what about more recently when Lee himself was shot? _No, he didn't decide to give in and negotiate with terrorists because his son was bleeding to death as a hostage._

But really, this train of thought wasn't getting him anywhere. He needed to make sure all of his people got off safely - he owed them that much. The Arctic Sunshine had docked with them and people were piling on - or so Taylor had told him. He and his acting XO, Smithson, had stayed in CIC to monitor the situation from there. Coordination between his pilots and Galactica's raptors had been going well and they'd all made several trips safely.

"Only a couple of hundred left sir," Taylor reported suddenly.

"Good. Well done. Keep me informed." Lee checked his watch. Five more minutes. Frak. His life was over in five minutes and so much was left unsaid, undone ... if only he could find some way to talk to Kara ...

"You go ahead," he said to Smithson. "Make sure they all get out."

"But sir, you ..."

Lee held up his hand for silence. "You know what I have to do," he said, sadness evident in his voice.

Smithson looked at him proudly. "With all due respect, this isn't _your _ship, sir. You shouldn't go down with it." He put a hand over his heart. "I've been serving on Pegasus since she was launched, let me do the honours."

"I can't let you ..." Lee began.

"Yes, you can. Go, Commander. Back to Galactica where you belong. I'll see it through to the end."

Lee smiled sadly at him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Go." Smithson repeated. "You don't have much time."

"Taylor reporting all crew members evacuated. I'm on my way to Galactica."

"Copy that Taylor," Smithson said. "Good luck," he said earnestly to Lee as he turned to leave CIC, breaking into a run as he realized he only had three minutes left. Frak! He'd have to skip his flightsuit and preflight and just take off cold if he wanted to make it. And make it he would. He'd been given another chance here and he wasn't going to waste it.

Meanwhile in CIC, the comm crackled to life. "Pegasus, this is Starbuck. Pegasus, are you there?" Her voice was frantic. She _knew _Lee was still aboard - he was such a pompous ass about following the rules and doing what was right, that he would never desert his ship. She saw the last of the raptors exiting the flight bay and prayed that all the souls on the ship would make it off safely. "Except Lee of course," she muttered, eyes tearing up. "Stupid bastard's gonna go and die on me." The tears began to spill out, pooling at the bottom of her helmet.

"Starbuck, Pegasus. You can turn around and go home. We're now fully evacuated, except ..."

"Where's the Commander?" she broke in, not recognizing this voice.

"Commander Adama is on his way out now." He paused a brief second. "I hope he'll make it," he added softly.

"Frak! Lee, you crazy idiot! You've only got thirty seconds left!" she shouted, though he couldn't hear her. Or so she thought ...

Lee was just firing up the controls, making sure his comm was active in case he needed to call for help. Suddenly he heard Kara's voice, angry, but frantic as well. "Frak Lee! You crazy idiot! You've only got thirty seconds left!"

He started up the engines. "It's nice to talk to you too Starbuck," he said calmly, through his heart was beating nineteen to the dozen.

"Lee!" she shouted suddenly. "Where are you?"

"On my way off this godsforsaken ship, I hope," he answered. "What the hell are _you _doing here?"

"I came for you." she said simply, and those words told him everything. _Please don't let me die, not now, please, _he prayed, jolting backwards as his ship leapt forwards in takeoff.

At exactly the same moment, a huge explosion ripped through Pegasus, almost tearing it in two. Many subsequent explosions were triggered and the sky lit up with fireworks as the ship blew, piece by piece.

No sign of a viper anywhere. "Lee!" Kara screamed, the tears rushing down her face like a waterfall now. "Lee ..." she repeated, more quietly. "No, don't do this to me, you can't leave me - I need you. Please ..."

The launch tube had suddenly veered sideways as Lee was heading through it, causing him to stop suddenly as his ship got stuck. He wrestled with the controls, frantic to get himself out of there before the explosions he could feel behind him caught up. He finally managed to wrench his ship free and wobbled unsteadily through the rest of the tube, tossing and turning like a boat on the waves as he hit the cold vacuum of space. He had no control whatsoever, but lurched back and forth crazily, causing some serious nausea. He looked out the window to see if he could see what was wrong with his ship. Frak! - one of the wings was completely missing! Must have torn it off forcing his way through the tube.

Now what?

Another explosion close by rocked his ship and pieces of Pegasus flew dangerously near to his canopy. He had to get out of here - now.

"Starbuck? You still there?" he asked shakily, very close to tears.

"Lee?" Her voice came at him, almost a whisper. "You're still alive?"

"I need help," he said, pride going out the window. Kara was the _only _one who could get him out of this. She was always the one who saved his ass and really, she was the only one who could save his soul too. He'd tried elsewhere, with other people, but to no avail. He _always _came back to her. She was his home - his heart and his soul. Kara was where he lived, what he breathed, and the only thing that kept him alive.

"Where are you?" she said brusquely, all business when there was work to be done.

"I have no idea, I'm spinning out of control here. Got one wing missing."

"Frak! Hold on, I'll find you." She turned on the speed, heading straight for the debris and what was left of Pegasus, explosions still rocking it wildly.

She sped through, not even bothering to evade the larger pieces, which she just drove relentlessly through, knocking them heavily out of the way. Then she spied Lee - holy frak - it was a wonder he could keep it together at all. _Hold on Lee, I'm coming! _

"Can you try to still yourself a little? It's gonna be hard for me to stop that spin."

"Not sure," came the reluctant reply. "I'll try." Silence. "Nope, got no attitude control." Lee sounded lost.

"Hold on then, I'm going to stop you."

"You're what? You're crazy Kara!"

"Yup, now shut up and brace yourself 'cause I'm coming in."

Lee's eyes widened as he saw Kara coming towards him. "Oh frak," he said, closing his eyes. He didn't want to see this.

Kara stopped her ship and watched the rotation of Lee's for a second before gunning it and heading straight for him. She slipped under his belly and stopped dead as Lee's ship struck hers. They shook and spun together a few times till Kara eased them under control. She looked up to see Lee's canopy right against hers.

"Hey there," she said. "Still with me?"

Lee opened his eyes, to find only two panes of glass between their faces. "Frakking shit Kara! How the hell did you do that?" His voice was shaky.

"I'm Starbuck, I can do anything," she said cockily, a wide smile splitting her face. Then it darkened. "Hell, Lee, you don't even have a _flightsuit _on!"

"Yeah well, I didn't have time for the little details."

"Thank the gods you got off safely!" she exploded suddenly, her feelings suddenly overwhelming her. "Let's go home."

She turned them around slowly and headed back to Galactica, using the barest minimum thrusters so she didn't dislodge him. A few minutes later, the relative silence of her comm was broken. Only their desperate breathing had broken it before then.

"Starbuck, Galactica, are you there Starbuck?" The transmission was breaking up. Something must have disrupted her comm system. _Probably a piece of that frakking beast, _she thought.

"Starbuck, are you there?" It was the Admiral's voice and he sounded worried - more worried than she'd ever heard him.

"Galactica, Starbuck. I'm here."

"Are you okay Starbuck?" he interrupted.

"I'm okay Galactica - and I've got a surprise for you." She paused for dramatic effect. "I'm dragging Apollo's sorry ass back with me." She grinned as Lee shot her an amused look.

"What? Come again Starbuck?" His voice was very nearly a shout.

"Apollo is alive and well. His ship is history, but he's on his way back with me." They could both hear the shouts and applause coming from Galactica's CIC.

"Thank you Starbuck," he said, voice nearly a whisper. Kara could hear the tears he was barely holding onto.

"We're going a little slow here Galactica, so we'll be a few minutes. Have an emergency crew ready in case we have trouble with the landing."

"Copy that Starbuck. We'll be waiting." The cheers were still going strong.

Kara looked at Lee and smiled. "Seems they've missed you Apollo."

"Maybe they're cheering for you Starbuck. _You're _ the hero here after all."

"Maybe Galactica just missed the Apollo - Starbuck combination," she said with a smirk.

Lee stared at her longingly. "So do I," he said softly.

"Yeah, me too," she said, smirk falling away and a look of vulnerability crossing her face.

Lee pressed his palm against the canopy. Kara matched it, and they both knew - forgiveness had been granted.

A few moments later, she removed it, realizing they were approaching Galactica's landing bay. She took a deep breath.

"Hold on Lee, this could be a rough ride."

"Always is with you," he replied, half serious. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

She smiled then turned her attention to the task at hand. She knew that entering the bay wouldn't be too difficult, but the landing itself was tricky. She was flying slightly sideways in order to keep Lee's viper balanced on hers, but as soon as she straightened out, his would tumble and crash. There was no way around that - it was just a question of how easy she could make the letdown. Tylium was highly explosive and crashing the wrong way would cause an instant explosion, killing Lee and probably many of the deck crew as well. Perhaps even herself.

All these thought ran through her head in a split second, then she made her decision on how to land.

"Hold on Lee, here we go," she warned, slowing to a near stop. She began to tip slowly, hearing the screech of metal as his ship slid off hers. She balanced and compensated, trying to let him down as gently as possible. It came loose with a squeal and hit the deck with a great thud, but thankfully no explosion.

Lee popped open the canopy and jumped out, not waiting for help, as Kara lowered her ship to the deck and ripped off her helmet. The canopy opened and stairs were pushed up against the viper for her to exit. She hopped out and practically leapt down the stairs. Lee caught her at the bottom and hugged her fiercely. It didn't matter that his father and Dee were both waiting for him nearby; Kara's arms was where he needed to be.

She held him just as tightly, faces buried in each other's necks, so much being said between them, no words needed. Their lips found each others and met, in love for the first time, knowing _this _was where they belonged.

Adama felt rather than saw Dee's shoulders droop slightly. It pained him. Dee wasn't family like Lee and Kara were, but he had a special place in his heart for her nonetheless. She had always been there with him, quiet but supportive, until she'd finally spoken up and given him the candid advice he'd needed to hear. In a way, she was responsible for putting the fleet back together. But unfortunately, _she _ wasn't the woman Lee loved. Adama had suspected it all along.

Dee sighed, heart dropping to the pit of her stomach. But she knew she hadn't lost Lee - he'd never really been hers to lose. He'd shared his body with her - even his mind sometimes, but his heart and soul belonged to Starbuck. Always had. She'd tried to convince herself what she had to give was enough, but though he'd tried with her, it obviously wasn't. What he and Kara had was something special - something undefinable. Something that bound them together so closely that nothing and no one could come between them.

The kiss finally ended but they remained joined, Lee's arms wrapped firmly around Kara's waist, and her arms around his neck, one hand twined in his sweaty hair. Their foreheads rested against one another's as they drew deep breaths. Lee stared deep into her eyes.

"I hate you," he said softly.

"Hate, love ... sometimes it's hard to tell the difference," she whispered solemnly, then they both began to smile, knowing the balance of their love-hate relationship had swung in favour of love.

**THE END**

**ooooooooooooooooooo**

Thanks for reading everyone - I hope you enjoyed it and the content wasn't too disturbing. I apologize for the lack of reality in the 'space explosions' - which as we know can't possibly happen since oxygen is required for combustion, but since they always show explosions on the actual show, I figured I'd make it more like an actual BSG episode and write them in. Made it more colourful too.


End file.
